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COOPERATION  OF  LIBRARY  AND  SCHOOL 

Mabel  M.  Reynolds,  Librarian. 

The  motto  of  the  American  Library  Association,  “The 
best  reading  for  the  largest  number  at  the  least  cost  and  the 
other  motto,  “For  life,  not  for  school,  we  earn,  underlie  the 
attempts  that  are  today  made  to  educate  all  our  citizens.  K 
dergartens,  common  schools,  colleges,  libraries,  clubs,  readl  S 
circles,  and  extension  classes  exist  that  people  of  all  ranks  and 
of  all  ages  may  come  into  their  inheritance  The  purpose  of 
this  paper  is  to  show  what  the  library  and  school,  working  to- 
g-ether  may  do  to  realize  these  aims. 

In  1876,  occurred  the  first  national  library  meeting,  and 
ever  since  then  there  have  been  yearly  meetings  of  the  Ameri- 
can  Library  Association,  the  A.  L.  A.  There  were  many,  many 
problems  before  these  people  at  their  first  meetings  as  there 
are  today.  One  problem  that  engaged  their  attention  from 
the  first,  was  how  to  get  the  children  to  love  books;  how  to  get 
them  to  use  the  best  books  on  any  subject  intelligently  and 
well ; how  to  teach  them  what  the  best  books  were.  Peop  e 
not  like  things  some  times  because  they  do  not  know  them, 
but  if  you  can  not  get  hold  of  these  people  long  enough  to 
teach  them  about  the  things  you  want  known,  how ^ can  you 
make  the  things  liked?  The  librarians  realized  that  there  was 
already  existing  an  institution,  to  which  the  children,  as  a 
whole,  went  regularly  for  a certain  number  of  years— the 
school.  There  was  a body  of  organized  workers,— the  teachers. 
To  the  children  these  teachers  were  guides,  lnspirers  friends, 
yea  fortune  tellers,  as  the  bootblack  in  Elizabeth  Harrison  s 
story  calls  the  Sunday  School  teacher,  who  through  her  wide 
knowledge,  made  the  box  of  shoe  polish  so  interesting,  f he 
library  forces  resolved  that  the  school  forces  and  they  ought 
to  be  Allies;  accordingly  in  1896,  Melvil  Dewey  of  the  New 
York  State  Library,  appeared  before  the  National  Educationa 
Association  in  Buffalo  and  addressed  the  assembled  school 
men.  The  result  was  the  creating  of  a new  department  of  the 
N.  E.  A.,  the  library  department.  . _ , 

There  have  been  seven  meetings  of  the  National  Educa- 
tional Association  since  then,  and  each  time,  there  have  been 
most  valuable  papers  and  discussions  on  topics  of  mutual  in- 
terest to  libraries  and  schools.  Some  of  these  subjects  are: 
“Training  of  teachers  so  that  they  may  cooperate  with  the  li- 
brary ” “What  the  school  may  properly  demand  of  the  library 
“School  libraries  in  the  rural  districts,”  “Purposes  of  the 

23 


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school  library,”  “Relation  of  the  library  to  art  education  in  the 
schools,”  “What  the  normal  schools  can  do  for  teachers  on  the 
library  side,”  “The  A B C of  reference  work.”  There  are  also 
many  pages  directly  bearing  on  children’s  readings : — the  sub- 
jects they  like;  the  books  on  those  subjects  best  written  for 
them;  how  to  make  them  like  reading,  with  details  as  to  what 
is  done  in  particular  localities.  School  superintendents,  public 
school  teachers,  librarians  of  normal  schools  and  public  libra- 
ries, and  members  of  library  commissions  all  have  contributed ; 
the  papers  are  not  theoretical,  but  give  results  of  carefully  tested 
experiments,  thorough  investigation,  and  accurate  details  of  the 
advance  made  in  guiding,  directing,  and  stimulating  children’s 
reading.  The  volumes  of  the  N.  E.  A.  proceedings  are  there- 
fore mentioned  as  the  first  source  of  material. 

The  Reports  of  the  Commissioner  of  Education  sometimes 
contain  very  valuable  papers  on  this  topic.  The  report  for 
1897-98,  Vol.  I,  pp.  673-92,  contains  a “Symposium  on  the 
public  school  and  the  public  library.”  The  articles  which  are 
taken  from  the  Library  Journal,  are  from  the  pens  of  expe- 
rienced, well-known  librarians  and  are  very  suggestive  to  the 
parent,  teacher  and  librarian. 

The  document,  “Report  of  Committee  on  the  Relation  of 
Public  Libraries  to  Public  Schools,”  should  be  well  known  to 
every  one  engaged  in  teaching  or  in  that  field  of  library  effort 
which  works  with  the  schools.  There  are  fifteen  papers  in  this 
report  and  they  show  how  a library  may  be  organized,  how  pub- 
lic sentiment  in  favor  of  a library  may  be  created,  how  poor 
conditions  may  be  improved,  how  rural  schools  may  secure 
libraries,  how  certain  typical  libraries  have  accomplished  their 
work.  These  headings  only  suggest  the  contents.  Not  the 
least  valuable  parts  of  the  report  are  the  excellent  lists  of  books 
for  grades  prepared  by  Chas.  A.  McMurry,  and  a list  for  high 
schools.  The  committee  whose  names  are  signed  to  the  report, 
was  appointed  in  1897,  and  for  two  years,  through  every  ave- 
nue open  to  them,  the  work  was  investigated  and  the  public 
generally  interested.  The  report  may  be  found  in  the  N.  E.  A. 
Proceedings,  Los  Angeles  meeting,  1899;  in  the  report  of  the 
Commissioner  of  Education  1899-1900,  Vol.  I.,  pp.  663-718; 
in  a separate  pamphlet  of  80  pages,  costing  15  cents,  which 
may  be  had  by  addressing  Irwin  Shepard,  Secretary  of  the 
N.  E.  A.,  Winona,  Minn. 

Houghton,  Mifflin  & Co.  print  a little  circular  compiled 
by  the  Springfield  (Mass.)  City  Library  Association  called 
“References  to  articles  upon  children,  schools  and  libraries.” 

24  i 


li 


There  are  about  two  hundred  references,  with  abstracts,  to  the 
most  valuable  articles  to  be  found  in  the  Library  Journal,  Pub- 
lic Libraries  and  in  some  cases  in  educational  and  general  liter- 
ary magazines. 

Even  to  name  all  the  sources  of  material  available  for  the 
friends  of  the  Library  to  use  in  learning  of  her  work  with  the 
schools,  would  make  a very  long  bibliography.  The  State 
Library  Commissions  are  publishing  much  valuable  material; 
their  bulletins  for  special  days,  their  lists,  reports,  handbooks, 
bookmarks,  are  great  aids  to  the  librarian,  and  through  her,  to 
the  school ; there  are  two  good  library  periodicals : Public  Li- 
braries, published  at  156  Wabash  Ave.,  Chicago,  subscription 
price  $1.00,  and  Library  Journal,  298  Broadway,  New  York 
City,  subscription  price  $5.00;  the  State  Teachers’  Associations 
and  the  County  Institutes  have  a place  on  their  programs  for 
library  interests;  public  libraries  send  out  carefully  annotated 
lists  and  call  the  attention  of  their  local  constituency  to  specially 
good  books,  special  exhibits,  excellent  illustrations;  other  li- 
braries, far  distant,  get  hold  of  the  material  and  the  teachers 
and  children  share  with  the  rest  of  the  community  in  the  gen- 
eral interest;  articles  appear  in  the  leading  magazines  telling 
of  what  is  being  done  in  the  best  libraries  for  teachers  and 
parents  and  pupils;  the  Outlook,  the  Review  of  Reviews,  the 
Atlantic  Monthly,  are  only  named  as  types  of  the  magazines 
that  contain  such  articles ; the  newspaper  is  the  library’s  friend 
as  well  as  the  school’s;  Farmers’  Institutes  and  Women’s  Clubs 
are  interested,  and,  in  some  states,  are  great  promoters  of  li- 
brary work ; the  United  States  Government  has  issued  valuable 
reports.  All  these  sources  of  library  material  are  aids  only  as 
they  are  used.  The  library  schools  are  sending  out  trained  li- 
brarians, alive  to  their  opportunities,  skilled  in  the  technique 
of  library  organization  and  management,  anxious  to  make 
the  library  known  and  loved  by  all  the  people.  The  good  things 
that  come  to  their  table  are  often  such  as  will  help  the  school ; 
they  want  to  share  them  with  the  teachers. 

There  are  many  large  public  libraries  now  which  have 
special  assistants  to  work  with  the  schools.  Such  libraries 
have  not  only  a children’s  room  and  a general  reference  room, 
but  also  a school  reference  room  and  a room  where  a teacher 
may  bring  a class  and  have  the  books  and  magazines  she  wants. 
The  library  assistant  who  works  with  the  schools  knows  the 
course  of  study ; she  consults  with  the  teachers  and  finds  collat- 
eral reading  and  all  sorts  of  supplementary  material ; she  visits 
the  school  and  gives  talks  to  the  pupils,  that  awaken  their  in- 


25 


terest  in  literature  and  cause  them  to  take  out  library  cards  and 
read  at  home;  she  makes  known  to  them  the  books  that  will 
enrich  their  lives,  and  make  their  school  work  full  of  meaning ; 
she  brings  to  the  notice  of  the  teacher  the  helpful  material  that 
comes  to  her;  she  sees  that  the  library  sends  to  the  school  at 
stated  periods  boxes  of  books  that  constitute  in  themselves 
small  room  libraries.  The  community  supporting  such  a li- 
brary is  investing  well  for  future  intelligence  and  character. 
Rural  schools  count  themselves  fortunate  if  they  have  their  own 
room  libraries ; some  schools  still  find  it  difficult  to  obtain  these 
and  teachers,  who  have  managed  to  get  together  a collection 
of  books  under  the  most  adverse  conditions,  deserve  great 
praise.  With  the  interest  that  library  commissions,  state  de- 
partments of  education,  county  superintendents,  legislators,  and 
the  people  generally  are  taking  in  such  things,  there  will  soon 
be  a law  in  every  state  making  a school  library  fund  compulsory. 
In  the  states  where  this  law  is  now  in  force,  a school,  attended 
by  not  more  than  thirty  pupils,  may  have,  in  a few  years,  as 
many  as  one  hundred  books;  if  these  have  been  well  selected 
they  constitute  a good  working  library.  Books  beget  ever 
more  and  more  interest.  Teachers  who  are  able  to  arouse  an 
interest  in  a small  collection  may  cause  the  children  to  feel  the 
need  of  more  books  and  arouse  the  community  to  help ; a good 
school  library  may  make  the  people  want  a traveling  library 
from  their  state  commission  and  when  this  library  has  been 
read  and  appreciated  the  next  step  in  communities  of  any  size 
is  the  public  library,  free  to  all. 

The  school  people  have  done  wonderful  things  through 
the  improvement  of  the  text-books,  the  story  telling  of  the  kin- 
dergarten and  primary  school,  the  work  in  literature  in  the 
grades  and  in  the  high  school,  to  instill  a love  for  reading  in 
the  child.  The  noble  band  of  helpers  which  has  edited  the 
classics  for  children,  and  brought  to  them,  in  convenient  size 
and  print,  real  literature,  has  done  much  to  form  the  taste  of  the 
American  people.  To  Sarah  L.  Arnold,  and  Horace  E.  Scud- 
der,  to  the  kindergartner  who  told  the  story  of  Little  Cedrie, 
and  How  the  Ugly  Caterpillar  became  the  Beautiful  Butterfly, 
to  Rand  & McNally,  who  are  getting  out  beautifully  illustrated 
children’s  books,  to  these,  and  many  others,  librarians  and 
teachers  must  be  thankful.  Last  year  Miss  Marie  L.  Shedlock 
of  London  told  to  a delighted  audience  of  over  a thousand  chil- 
dren in  Carnegie  Institute,  Pittsburg,  some  fairy  tales, — Hans 
Anderson,  Japanese  fairy  tales  and  others.  The  November 
number  of  the  Carnegie  Library  Bulletin  states  that  she  is  to 


26 


give,  this  December,  1903,  a course  of  ten  lectures  to  the  stu- 
dents in  the  Training  School  for  children’s  librarians  there. 
The  December  number  of  the  Kindergarten  Magazine  gives 
Miss  Shedlock’s  picture  in  costume  as  the  English  fairy  god 
mother.  What  that  training  class  will  learn  of  how  to  unite 
school  and  library  and  how  many  books  the  children  will  want 
to  draw  to  read  at  home!  The  papers  of  this  January  tell  us 
that  Miss  Shedlock  is  to  be  in  Chicago.  We  envy  Chicago. 

The  teacher,  who  as  a child  has  listened  with  delight  to 
the  kindergarten  story,  who  has  had,  as  a school  girl,  inspiring 
text-books  and  a graded  course  in  literature,  who  has  read, 
or  had  read  to  her  in  the  home  circle,  Uncle  Remus,  Marmion, 
Heidi,  Uncle  Tom’s  Cabin  and  a host  of  other  good  things,  has 
a valuable  resource.  The  memory  of  this  reading  will  help  her 
to  introduce  to  her  school  the  literature  of  imagination  and  ro- 
mance, of  delight  and  song.  If  her  teachers  of  history,  sociol- 
ogy and  geography  have  made  her  acquainted  with  reference 
books,  if  she  has  been  led  through  her  course  to  read  much  sup- 
plementary and  collateral  material,  she  realizes  also  the  great- 
ness of  the  literature  of  knowledge,  of  the  worth  of  the  labora- 
tory habit,  and  the  use  of  books  as  tools. 

The  girl  so  prepared  is  trained  for  a teacher;  she  has  a 
course  in  psychology  and  methods  and  learns  how  to  teach 
others.  She  studies  child  nature  from  living  with  children  and 
from  the  child  as  she  finds  him  in  literature;  she  reads  Eugene 
Field,  James  Whitcomb  Riley,  Emmy  Lou,  Hutton’s  “A  Boy 
I Knew  and  Four  Dogs,”  Kenneth  Graham’s  “Golden  Age  and 
Dream  Days,”  “Sentimental  Tommy,”  Warner’s  “Being  a 
Boy,”  Howell’s  “A  Boy’s  Town,”  “David  Copperfield,”  and 
perhaps  several  of  the  books  on  the  list  which  the  Springfield 
(Mass.)  City  Library  Association  issues  under  the  name, 
“Books  About  Children  and  Child  Life  for  Grown  People.” 
All  her  college  studies  inculcate  in  her  the  habit  of  using  many 
books.  Her  teachers  are  not  dogmatic.  In  English  History  she 
has  not  only  used  her  text-book  but  read,  in  part  at  least,  Bright 
Greene,  Freeman,  Gardiner,  Lecky,  Cunningham,  Traill;  she 
has  supplemented  history  with  biography,  read  Shakespeare  and 
Scott  and  Kingsley,  to  get  the  life  and  customs  of  the  time. 
When  it  comes  to  teaching  English  History  to  her  grade  or 
even  in  the  small  high  school  it  is  the  children’s  literature  on  the 
subject  that  she  wants.  Gueber’s  “Story  of  the  English,”  or 
Mowry’s  “First  Steps  in  the  History  of  England”  are  useful 
* guides.  These  with  Brook’s  “Chivalric  Days,”  Mark  Twain’s 

“Prince  and  Pauper,”  Howard  Pyle’s  “Robin  Hood,”  and 


t 


27 


“Otto  of  the  Silver  Hand,”  Stockton’s  “Story  of  Viteau,”  La- 
nier’s edition  of  Malory’s  “Boys’  King  Arthur;”  Temple’s 
“England’s  History”  as  pictured  by  famous  painters  may  give 
a boy  or  girl  a life  long  love  for  history.  Should  not  a teacher 
know  the  literature  that  will  make  the  subject  live  for  the 
school  as  well  as  the  more  scholarly  literature  used  by  college 
classes  ? 

This  teacher  takes  a school.  She  may  find  no  school  li- 
brary, and  her  utmost  endeavors  for  the  year  she  stays  may  not 
produce  a fund  large  enough  to  buy  even  ten  books.  What  shall 
she  do?  There  are  ways  of  getting  some  material  even  then; 
the  U.  S.  Government  will  help  out  some;  the  great  hotels, 
established  as  summer  resorts  in  different  parts  of  the  country 
will  send  much  illustrative  material  that  will  help  in  geography ; 
railroad  guides  are  of  use;  scrap  books  may  be  made;  the  chil- 
dren may  have  some  books  and  the  teacher  may  lend  a few  of 
hers.  Many  of  the  articles  to  which  reference  has  been  made 
in  this  paper  give  hints  as  to  what  to  do  until  books  may  be 
bought  as  well  as  how  to  show  the  authorities  that  books 
are  needed.  Suppose  a fund  does  come  into  existence  and  that 
the  teacher  is  left  to  choose  the  books.  From  a list  of  books, 
all  good,  she  is  to  choose  those  which  are  best  for  her  school. 
She  studies  the  children,  the  locality,  calls  to  mind  her  child- 
hood reading.  Children  are  to  be  led  along  the  lines  of  their 
interests  but  teachers  and  libraries  may  create  new  interests. 
It  is  here  that  the  teacher’s  intimate  knowledge  of  children’s 
books  derived  from  her  private  reading  and  her  normal  course 
will  be  of  use.  All  she  may  know  of  authors,  illustrators,  best 
editions  and  publishers  will  help  her.  There  are  many  good 
lists  that  the  parent,  teacher  or  librarian  may  use  in  selecting 
books.  Lists  that  do  not  analyze  the  books  by  means  of  a sub- 
ject index,  or  a good  descriptive  note  are  of  little  use  to  the 
would-be-buyer,  unless  she  knows  the  book  herself  or  knows, 
in  general,  the  ability  of  the  person  compiling  the  list  to  choose 
books  for  others. 

Three  libraries  have  lists  in  the  market  that  are  especially 
good ; they  are  all  libraries  which  have  done  much  work  with 
children  and  schools  and  the  lists  have  grown  from  their  knowl- 
edge of  books  and  their  work  with  the  young.  Evanston 
Library,  Evanston,  Illinois,  sells  for  five  cents  a sixty-one  page 
pamphlet  called,  “List  of  five  hundred  books  in  the  school  li- 
braries of  Evanston.”  It  was  compiled  in  1902  and  has  an  an- 
notated list  by  grades,  1 — 6 inclusive.  The  subjects  are : myth- 
ology, fairy  tales,  fables  and  legends;  natural  science;  useful 


28 


arts ; games  and  sports ; literature ; geography ; description  and 
travel;  history;  biography  and  historical  stories,  fiction.  Pub- 
lishers and  prices  are  given,  an  author  and  title  index,  and  some 
special  lists  are  added.  The  Buffalo  Public  Library  issued  last 
year  its  list  of  class-room  libraries  for  public  schools.  It  con- 
tains one  hundred  thirty-four  pages  and  costs  twenty-five  cents. 
The  list  is  graded,  but  books  for  all  subjects  in  the  same  grade 
are  in  one  alphabet.  Grades  i — 9 are  included.  Half  of  the 
book  is  taken  up  with  a most  valuable  subject  index.  Lewis 
and  Clarke  have  these  references : Lewis  and  Clarke,  Meri- 
wether Lewis,  1774-1809.  William  Clarke,  1770-1838. 

Brooks — First  across  the  continent. 

Drake — Making  of  the  great  west,  p.  184. 

Greely — Men  of  achievement;  explorers,  p.  105. 

Hale — Stories  of  adventure,  chapter  1 1 . 

Kingsley — Stories  of  Captain  Meriwether  Lewis  and  Cap- 
tain William  Clarke. 

Kingsley — Story  of  Captain  Meriwether  Lewis  and  Capt. 
William  Clarke. 

Lighten — Lewis  and  Clarke. 

McMurry — Pioneer  history  stories  of  the  Mississippi  val- 
ley,  p.  136. 

Parton — Capt.  Meriwether  Lewis.  In  Captains  of  Indus- 
try; 2nd  series,  p.  51. 

Verne — Great  explorers  of  the  19th  century,  p.  62. 

Wright — Stories  of  American  progress,  p.  86. 

The  Author-Title  index  has  each  one  of  these  ten  books 
under  author  and  title  with  the  grade  for  which  it  is  suitable. 
Looking  up  the  book  in  the  grade  list,  we  find  that  publishers 
and  price  are  given.  Miss  Prentice,  training  teacher  in  the 
Cleveland  Normal,  has  compiled  for  the  Cleveland  Public  Li- 
brary, “References  for  third  grade  teachers.”  This  is  a 108 
page  pamphlet  and  costs  thirty  cents.  The  table  of  contents 
shows  twelve  main  subjects.  One  of  these  is  Birds,  to  which 
twenty-five  pages  are  devoted;  a page  of  quotations  from  the 
poets  is  given  first,  then  a page  of  references  about  birds  in 
general;  such  subjects  as  enemies,  food,  nests,  structure,  etc., 
are  taken  up  and  then  individual  birds;  many  quotations  are 
given,  general  references,  books,  poems  and  stories  are  referred 
to  and  exact  pages  given.  The  references  are  to  books  and 
magazines.  Under  “Duck,”  there  are  four  reference  books 
given,  seven  stories  and  one  poem;  two  quotations  are  given 
and  reference  made  to  the  mounted  pictures  which  the  library 
is  ready  to  supply. 


There  are  many,  many  other  lists  used  by  librarians  that 
might  be  very  helpful  to  teachers.  Many  of  them  lack  notes, 
publishers  and  prices.  A variety  of  lists  is  very  helpful  in  se- 
lecting a collection  of  any  size  and  where  the  librarian’s  worth 
and  the  library’s  ideals  are  known,  the  book  lists  are  accepted 
as  valuable,  on  the  authority  of  their  authors.  Such  lists  as 
come  from  the  Carnegie  Library,  Pittsburg,  the  New  York 
State  Library,  Hartford  (Conn.)  Public  Library,  Springfield 
(Mass.)  City  Library  Association,  Milwaukee  (Wis.)  Public 
Library,  State  Superintendent’s  Office,  Madison,  Wisconsin,  or 
the  Free  Library  Commission  of  Madison  are  all  very  good  and 
inexpensive. 

The  books  so  carefully  selected  come  at  last;  the  box  is 
unpacked  and  the  teacher  and  her  pupils  have  the  delight  of 
handling  the  pretty  volumes.  The  books  are  to  be  prepared 
for  the  shelves.  The  teacher  who  has  had  some  training  in 
library  administration  now  finds  it  of  great  advantage  to  her. 
The  books  need  to  be  analyzed,  the  fewer  there  are,  the  more 
surely  must  each  part  be  made  of  use.  Titles  often  fail  to  ex- 
press contents  and  books  must  be  carefully  classified  if  their 
subjects  are  to  be  known.  It  saves  so  much  time  if  all  material 
on  a subject  be  kept  together.  If  a card  catalogue  be  made  of 
the  books,  teacher  and  pupils  will  have  valuable  training.  It 
will,  moreover,  be  found  very  useful  in  work  with  the  school 
library  and  later  with  other  libraries.  The  commissions  of 
Iowa,  Minnesota  and  Wisconsin  have  a most  valuable  little 
hand  book  of  library  organization.  It  may  be  bought  of  the 
Minnesota  State  Library  Commission,  Minneapolis,  at  $3.00 
per  100.  The  one  hundred  divisions  of  the  Dewey  Decimal 
Classification  given  on  page  40,  and  the  classification  for  chil- 
dren’s books,  page  41,  will  be  very  helpful  to  small  libraries; 
with  this  pamphlet  and  Cutter’s  Decimal  Author  Table  to  be 
bought  of  the  Library  Bureau,  156  Wabash  Ave.,  Chicago,  for 
$1.25,  the  teacher-librarian,  with  whatever  assistance  she  may 
be  able  to  get  through  library  and  educational  organizations, 
may  begin  the  work  of  getting  the  books  ready  for  the  chil- 
dren. 

She  may  find  ways  of  making  the  simple  make-up  of  the 
book  interesting  to  the  child;  she  may  tell  him  of  the  books 
of  the  ancients,  of  the  books  of  mediaeval  times  and  then  of 
modern  books ; she  may  open  eyes,  perhaps  closed  before,  to  the 
delight  of  the  artistic  craftsman;  she  may  find  in  book-making 
a suggestive  lesson  in  manual  training  and  in  the  industrial 
arts.  There  may  be  an  opportunity  here  to  tell  of  the  Maxson 


30 


book  mark  and  the  library  league.  They  may  become  factors 
in  the  school. 

Children  may  be  taught  to  use  the  table  of  contents  and 
the  index,  to  notice  the  chapter  headings  and  the  main  and  sec- 
ondary titles.  They  should  be  able  to  so  use  books  that  they 
may  find  the  information  they  want,  and  find  it  quickly. 

The  use  the  teacher  makes  of  the  books  depends  on  many 
things  mentioned  in  this  paper : her  own  love  of  reading ; her 
childhood  use  of  books;  her  college  course;  her  normal  train- 
ing; her  familiarity  with  children’s  books;  her  knowledge  of 
the  book  resources  of  the  country;  her  acquaintance  with  the 
movement  for  cementing  library  and  school  work ; her  nearness 
to  some  public  library  on  which  she  can  draw  for  additional 
material.  By  the  use  of  the  library  books  in  morning  exercises, 
on  special  holidays,  on  rainy  days, — when  there  are  enough  on 
any  subject  to  go  around,  by  every  possible  use  in  the  class 
recitation,  and  by  encouraging  home  reading,  she  may  make 
of  the  children,  book  users,  book  lovers.  Reference  books  may 
be  used  in  the  lower  grades;  the  text  books  may  be  enriched 
and  made  attractive  and  serve  as  a mere  suggestive  guide  to 
broader  reading.  Not  only  in  high  school,  frequented  by  such 
a small  per  cent,  but  the  grades,  should  train  pupils  to  compare 
authorities,  weigh  evidence  and  arrive  at  the  truth. 

A teacher  in  this  state  wishes  to  teach  her  class  Wash- 
ington History.  She  may  use  Taylor’s  History  and  Govern- 
ment of  Washington  State  as  a guide;  even  fifth  grade  chil- 
dren will  be  able  to  read  with  great  interest,  Tales  of  the  Pa- 
cific Slope  and  Eva  Emery  Dye’s  Story  of  Old  Oregon;  when 
the  part  of  the  book  that  relates  to  Lewis  and  Clarke  is  reach- 
ed, the  regular  text  book  may  be  supplemented  with  Kingsley’s 
Stories  of  Lewis  and  Clark,  and  the  teacher  may  read  to  them 
parts  of  Dye’s  McLaughlin  and  Old  Oregon;  when  Whitman 
is  reached,  parts  of  Nixon’s  How  Marcus  Whitman  Saved  Ore- 
gon may  be  used.  If  the  school  can  also  get  hold  of  the  lately 
reprinted  edition  of  Lewis  and  Clark’s  History  of  their  Expe- 
dition, edited  by  Hosmer,  Brook’s  First  Across  the  Continent 
and  Lighton’s  Lewis  and  Clark  in  the  Riverside  Literature 
Series,  or  of  others  mentioned  in  the  Brooklyn  list,  the  his- 
tory will  be  all  the  more  full  and  delightful ; as  geography  goes 
hand  in  hand  with  history-teaching,  the  child  may  begin  to  read 
some  books  of  travel,  where  before  he  read  only  adventure. 
It  may  lead  to  Baldwin’s  Discovery  of  the  Old  Northwest  and 
Conquest  of  the  Old  Northwest;  he  may  become  interested  in 
Indians  and  read  such  stories  as  Brook’s  Master  of  the  Strong 


31 


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Hearts  or  Cooper’s  Leather  Stocking  Tales  or  some  of  W.  O. 
Stoddard’s  books.  Is  he  not  preparing  for  Parkman  and  Fiske? 
He  may  not  reach  them,  perhaps,  but  he  has  read  good  books 
and  derived  from  them  training,  pleasure,  and  knowledge. 

Teachers  and  librarians  are  both  very  busy  people.  They 
have  many  things  to  do  besides  encouraging  children  to  read 
and  to  guide  them  in  their  reading,  but  the  tremendous  im- 
portance of  the  work  appeals  to  them.  If  something  else  must 
be  dropped,  should  not  a place  be  found  for  this  ? This  age  is 
interested  in  sociology.  Educators,  settlement  workers,  novel- 
ists, editors,  clergymen  and  statesmen  are  interested  in  better- 
ing conditions,  in  making  people  happier  and  better.  The  school 
and  the  library,  united,  may  contribute  their  part  to  the  gen- 
eral movement.  The  public  library  has  been  called  the  people’s 
university.  It  is  the  opportunity  of  the  teacher  and  librarian 
to  fit  the  young  to  enter  this  university.  Let  them  stand  shoul- 
der to  shoulder  and  accomplish  their  grand  mission ! 


